The Jedi and the Thief
by Sweet Christabel
Summary: Sabé is the Outer Rim's most nimble thief. Obi-Wan is a young Jedi Padawan. What happens when they end up in prison together?
1. Part One

**Author's Note: **This story was actually based on a dream I had when I was a kid. In that I was in a cell with Luke, Han and Leia but it was dark and I couldn't see any of them. They offered to let me become part of the Rebel Alliance, lol. So when I got reminded of it I thought it would make a nice Sabé and Obi-Wan story.

**Disclaimer: **Yes I did steal the name Muerta from Pirates of the Caribbean. No I don't own that or Star Wars or any characters in Star Wars. I just manipulate them for my own amusement (and hopefully other people's too!)

**The Jedi and the Thief – Part One **

Muerta, on the Outer Rim. Home to some of the richest and most unlawful beings in the galaxy. A small, out of the way planet composed mostly of areas of forest and mountain, used by many as a hiding place from the Republic's laws. Among the exotic blue-skinned Muertians lived countless other species, every one of them with something to hide.

One such being was a Hutt named Bocca, who had fallen out of favour not only with the Republic, but with his fellow Hutt's. He had hired a thief to steal Jabba's prize jewel, and had brought it to Muerta to keep it safe. Jabba had, of course, been furious, and the news of the thievery had spread all over the Outer Rim. He had sent Bounty Hunters out looking for it, but so far Muerta had been ignored, as Jabba had made the poor assumption that the Muertians were on his side and would tell him immediately if a Hutt landed on the planet's surface. This made the jewel accessible to anyone else who wanted to try and steal it. So far nobody had, as the Muertians pride themselves on their security technology.

It was this knowledge that encouraged one of the Galaxy's most successful thieves to try. No security system had stood in the way before, why should this one be any different? Garbed entirely in black from head to toe, Sabé Ikabel made her way around the rooftop of Bocca's quarters. She crouched down to look through the skylight and saw to her satisfaction that the Hutt was lying on a dais, fast asleep.

Breaking into a run, she leapt noiselessly across to the next roof and glanced through the skylight there. This was the building she needed. Taking a lightsabre from her belt she cut through the transparisteel, dropped lightly to the floor and began sprinting, avoiding guards wherever necessary. She once again used the lightsabre to cut through to Bocca's treasure room, and circled her prize. She had to study it carefully before deciding that this would have to be a grab-and-run job. There was no way she would be able to take the jewel without triggering an alarm, so she had to hope that she could run faster than the Muertian guards.

Taking a deep breath she snatched the jewel and darted back the way she had come. There were guards on her tail almost at once, and she had to move erratically to avoid them. She had almost made it to the exit when she found her way blocked by Bocca the Hutt himself. Turning, she saw that she was surrounded on almost every side and ran down the nearest available corridor, blinded as to where she was heading. But it was no use. The guards closed in around her, and she had to stop running.

Having been thoroughly disarmed, even down to the tiny vibroblade sheathed in her boot, she was marched down to the cells. Two Muertian guards secured her wrists and ankles with shackles, and then departed, closing the door with a slam, leaving her in complete darkness.

"Sith!" she swore.

"Jedi actually," a voice said, making her jump violently.

"I thought I was on my own in here," she said, pinpointing the source of the voice to be at her back.

"I do hope so with that language."

She sniggered at his tone. "Did you say you were a Jedi?"

"Yes. Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi at your service."

"I'm Sabé. Sabé Ikabel."

"A pleasure to meet you, Sabé Ikabel. What are you in for?"

"Attempted thievery," she answered with a grimace.

"Of what?"

"Jabba the Hutt's prize jewel that Bocca stole last week."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Oh dear. I take it you weren't doing it as an act of kindness with the intention of giving it back to him?"

"Not exactly, no."

He chuckled. "Steal often do you?" he asked conversationally.

"Quite often, yes," Sabé said defensively. "Does it bother you?"

"Well I'd rather be stuck in a cell with a thief than a homicidal maniac, so no, it doesn't bother me."

"Glad to hear it. I'd hate to put a damper on our relationship just as we were becoming friends."

"Indeed."

There was a slight pause, then Sabé asked, "So, what are _you_ in for?"

"Espionage, infiltration, that sort of thing."

"I thought Jedi didn't get caught," she said with a smirk.

"Usually they don't, but I'm only a Padawan, and this was supposed to be my first mission on my own. I seem to have failed it spectacularly."

"What were you supposed to do?"

"Spy. Report back to the Council on the goings on here. I must have underestimated their security system." He gave a sigh.

"That's exactly what I did."

"The very thing my Master warned me not to do was underestimate them."

"Where is your Master now?" Sabé asked, shifting slightly so the shackles didn't cut into her wrists so much.

"On a mission of his own, on the other side of the Outer Rim."

"That's unfortunate. We could do with a Jedi Master bursting his way in here and rescuing us. Well, you anyway."

"I very much doubt he would just leave you here."

"Why would he free a thief?"

She could hear the smile in his voice. "I'm not saying he wouldn't make you face the courts at Coruscant, he just wouldn't leave you in this place."

"That's very comforting," she said dryly. "Honestly, you've known me five minutes and you're already trying to hand me over to the law."

He laughed quietly. "Not like I can do much handing of anything while my wrists are chained to the ceiling. You're safe for now."

"Good. Then I wont have to steal a lock pick."

"Do you keep all the things you steal?"

"No, I sell them on. A girl's got to make a living."

"I suppose so. But couldn't you have found a legal way of doing so?"

"No."

"Very well. Who were you planning on selling the jewel to?"

"The highest bidder," she answered without hesitation.

"I see you've got it down to a fine art."

"Which is more than I can say for getting settled," Sabé grumbled, tugging on her chains. "How does one manage to get sleep around here?"

"Only one way," Obi-Wan replied at once.

"Oh?"

"With great difficulty."

During their time in the cells the two kept each other amused with stories and banter, waiting for Bocca to pull Sabé for questioning. At first it was jovial conversation, then Obi-Wan moved it onto personal details, realising that although they now considered themselves friends they knew very little about each other.

"Where are you from, Sabé?" he asked one day.

"Alderaan. But my mother was from Naboo, hence my Nabooian name. What about you?"

"I don't know exactly, but I believe it's Coruscant."

Sabé nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see her. "Next question."

"Lets see. How old are you?"

"Seventeen. You?"

"Twenty-five. Your turn."

Sabé thought. "What colour is your hair?"

"Light brown, going sort of reddish. And you?"

"I'm a brunette."

"And…what style?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No style really, just sort of loose. You?"

"The traditional Padawan haircut."

Sabé laughed. "Do you have the braid too?"

"Oh yes."

"What colour are your eyes?"

"Blue."

"Brown. No point in asking what you're wearing, all Jedi dress the same. Although I suppose you could ask me."

"No, there's no point."

"Why not?"

"Thieves always wear black."

Sabé smiled. "Very astute."

After conversations went this way for a while, the talk became much more serious, and the two began to theorise ways to escape. Food was given once a day in tablet form, which was thrown down their throats by the guards, and they were each let out once a day for necessities, but never at the same time. Suffice to say that two weeks had passed, and they still had no idea, other than verbal description, of the other's appearance. They were comfortable with each other now. Obi-Wan had grown used to Sabé's dry wit, and she admired his gentlemanly nature.

Shortly after the escape theories became the main topic of conversation, Sabé had said, "You're a Jedi, and I'm an accomplished thief, we should not be taking this long to work out a way to get out of here."

To which Obi-Wan had replied, "If you have a way to speed things up I'm all ears."

Of course she didn't. She was used to planning how to get _in_ to places, not out. "If I only had my lightsabre we could cut through the chains," Sabé sighed.

"You had a lightsabre?" Obi-Wan asked, surprised.

"Yes, I–"

"Stole it?"

"How did you guess? It was good for cutting things."

Obi-Wan had sighed noisily and rolled his eyes, not that she could appreciate the gesture, and the theorising had continued.

"I fail to see," Sabé remarked on the morning of the third week, "why you can't use the Force to pick the locks."

"I told you," Obi-Wan said, exasperated. "I tried that already and they've got some sort of defence against it. But I have been steadily weakening the chains. They should break any day now."

"Oh that's just fantastic," Sabé growled, suddenly afraid. "Once you've done that you'll shoot off and I'll never see you again. Not that I'm exactly seeing you now, but you know what I mean."

"Sabé, you're my friend. Do you honestly think I'd just leave you here? True I may need to get my lightsabre back in order to cut your chains, but I won't abandon you."

"That's good to know."

There came movement at the door and it swiftly opened, causing them both to squint as a shaft of light hit them. Two Muertian guards entered and approached Sabé, unlocking her bonds and pulling her roughly forward. "It's time for your questioning, thief," one of them spat.

Obi-Wan turned his head to watch as she was led out, hoping to get a glimpse of his companion. But her figure against the bright light outside only allowed him to see a silhouette, and the only thing he learned from that was that she was slim.

Was it possible to feel for someone you had never seen? Of course it was. But why had it happened to him? And just why did he have feelings for a thief of all people? If Master Qui-Gon found out about this… But he wouldn't, Obi-Wan would make sure of it. He sighed to himself, wondering what Sabé thought, and just what was happening to her.

Currently she was sitting in an uncomfortably hard chair facing a stern looking Bocca the Hutt, Muertian High Governor, his advisors, and several guards. The questioning was unproductive, at least for the Muertians. Sabé said nothing, and merely sat where she was, sullen and still. No interrogation tactic could make her talk, and in a rash move Bocca declared her nothing but a useless common thief, good for nothing but execution.

And so it was that her questioning took only half an hour, and soon found herself being shackled up once more. The High Governor stood observing and whispered something to one of his advisors, who immediately stepped forward and said, "The High Governor wishes to say that you can spare yourself your fate if you agree to spend the night in his company."

Sabé backed up as far as her chains would allow her, colliding with Obi-Wan as she did so. The strength and reassuring warmth of his back against hers gave her courage, and she said firmly, "I would rather bed a Hutt."

"We could arrange that," the advisor hissed.

Sabé felt sick at the very thought.

"Very well," the advisor said finally. "You are scheduled for termination first thing tomorrow morning. Sleep well." And with that, the whole party left.

"Tomorrow morning?" Sabé repeated in dismay. "We'll never escape by then."

"Have a little faith," Obi-Wan scolded gently. "Anyway, I thought you said you weren't afraid of death."

"I wasn't," she said quietly, "until I met someone…who was worth living for."

He tilted his head in her direction. "What do you mean by that?"

"I…I think I love you."

He smiled. "But you've never seen my face. I could look hideous."

Now it was her turn to smile. "Something tells me you don't."

There came a quiet clattering sound, and Sabé listened, startled. "What was that?"

"My chains," said Obi-Wan's voice in her ear.

She heard his footsteps move around in front of her. "Where are you?"

"Right here," he replied, touching his forehead to hers. "I need to go and find my lightsabre, otherwise I can't free you. But you must trust that I'll come back."

"I think I can manage that," she said, feeling butterflies in her stomach at hearing his voice so close to her.

"Glad to hear it. By the way…"

"What?"

"I think I love you too." Placing a hand either side of her face he kissed her gently in the darkness. "I'll be back."

Thoroughly stunned, she watched his silhouette disappear out the door. It seemed an eternity that he was gone, during which Sabé pictured herself pacing up and down. But soon he returned, lightsabre in hand, its bright blue blade almost fluorescent in the dark. He wasted no time in cutting Sabé's chains, and as soon as she was free she made a painful executive decision.

Leaping away, she darted to the doorway and blocked it, her silhouette cutting out most of the light. "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan," she said in a shaky voice. "I have to do this. I can't face the courts on Coruscant, they'll just throw me back in another prison. I know you'll get out of here quickly, but perhaps I'll have enough time to get away. Don't think too badly of me, please. I couldn't bear it. Remember, I'll always love you. Goodbye." With the last word, practically a whisper, she slammed and locked the door, sprinting down the corridor as fast as she could. On her out of practice limbs it was not as fast as usual. She risked a look behind her as she reached the corner, and saw that Obi-Wan had already cut his way through half of the door.

She blinked back tears as she ran, not allowing them to blur her vision, and successfully burst through the nearest door out. A few feet more and she would be safe in the woods. The guards were all busy trying to stop Obi-Wan, who, with his sabre, posed a much bigger threat.

Nearly there. She leapt for the fence, rapidly climbing it and hopping neatly over the alarmed force field at the top. Then she was in the canopy of trees, running wearily towards where she'd hidden her ship.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan was making his own way out, causing trouble for the guards as he went. Sabé's betrayal had hurt and angered him, though no more than the average Jedi should feel. She had claimed to love him, and yet she had run.

'Well,' he thought, 'she's a thief. It's in her nature to fool people.' But in his heart he knew she had been speaking the truth.

Blocking the blaster bolts from the guards, he slammed the outer door shut and used Sabé's stolen lightsabre to jam it. (Having seen it lying with his, it had seemed a waste to leave it there.) He was just in time to see a figure in black running through the trees. Should he give chase?

That question was quickly answered by a speeder that swooped down to land in front of him. And at the controls –

"Master? What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you. Get in."

Obi-Wan hurriedly slipped into the passenger seat, and the speeder took to the air once more. "I thought you were overseeing the peace treaty on Ansion."

"When I heard nothing from you I came here to make sure nothing had happened to you," Qui-Gon Jinn replied smoothly.

"You've been here all along?"

"Mostly, yes."

Obi-Wan was incredulous. "Why didn't you help me?"

"I thought it would be best to wait until you did that on your own. Unless it had seemed like you were in trouble. Do you know the Muertians were asking for ransom on you?"

Ahead of them a small ship rose out of the woods and headed up into space. Obi-Wan watched it with mixed feelings.

"That must be that other prisoner's ship," Qui-Gon mused. "The girl in black that I saw run out before you."

"Yes. She was my cellmate. A thief named Sabé Ikabel. We were going to help each other escape, but she bolted. She didn't want me to bring her before the Coruscanti courts."

"I suppose you can't blame her for that."

"I suppose not." Obi-Wan inwardly sighed, and clasped his hands tightly in his lap.


	2. Part Two

**A/N: **Here it is, the concluding part. Sabé starts a new life free of bad-memory-bringing Jedi. But it can only last so long…

**The Jedi and the Thief – Part Two. **

When Sabé made it off planet without anyone following her, she realised she had escaped successfully. But what to do now? Her thieving days were over, she knew. Now that a Jedi knew of her it wouldn't be safe. She would have to find another way to make a living, and a place to settle. But this was not the main reason for her sudden change of heart. She knew the real one, but decided never to admit to it, not aloud to herself or anyone else.

Now that that was sorted it was time to consider where to go. Not back to Alderaan. They knew her there, and she would never fit back into good society. Coruscant? Absolutely not. Corellia? She had friends there. Jonash Solo had once helped her out of a tricky situation. But that was part of her old life. If she was to start a new one successfully all remnants of the old must be left behind. Alderaan would have been ideal. So where was _like_ Alderaan? Hapes? No. Chad? Too wet. Yavin? Too many trees.

Then it hit her. Naboo. It was perfect. Small, peaceful, too peaceful for anything worthy of Jedi attention to happen. Perfect. Mind made up, she punched in the coordinates and made the jump to hyperspace.

When she landed in Naboo's capital city, Theed, the first thing she did was sell the ship. Then she bought a change of clothes and laid her black jumpsuit aside for what would hopefully be the last time. Keeping an eye out for job opportunities she wandered around the city, getting her bearings. It really was a beautiful place, and she tried not to stare as she walked, knowing it would make her look like an offworlder.

As she flitted from one market stall to the other, she listened to the locals' gossip. Many of them were talking about a new Queen, and Sabé made up her mind to find out who it was and what she was like. The general impression she was getting from the locals was that she was mostly popular.

Then she heard something of interest. The new Queen was short of one of her handmaidens, and was looking for someone to fill the position. Sabé at once turned on her heel and headed for the palace, which was the dominant iconic building in all of Theed. A palace. The last place in the galaxy that officials would look for a thief in hiding. She was quietly confidant as she headed up to the main entrance.

No sooner had she taken three steps inside when a voice cried, "Your Highness! Where have you been? We advised against you going out without a handmaiden or a guard!"

Sabé turned, perplexed, to see an elderly man hurrying over to her. "Excuse me, sir, I think you must be mistaken. My name is Sabé. I've come to try out for the handmaiden job."

The man halted sharply, scrutinising her. Then his face broke out in a wide smile. "I do beg your pardon, Miss. Please come with me." He began leading her through a maze of marble corridors, muttering things like, "Oh, you will be a blessing, child, an absolute blessing," leaving Sabé feeling more confused than ever.

Finally they stopped, and the elderly man opened the door, revealing a tidy office where a dark skinned man was studying a collection of tiny holo-portraits. "Captain Panaka, you can scrap all those. I think we've found our girl."

The captain looked up, then stood to look closer. "Incredible," he muttered.

"What is?" Sabé asked, growing more and more irritated.

Before either man could answer her, a girl appeared at the door dressed in a flowing blue gown. "Sorry I'm late, Captain, I was walking in the gardens."

Sabé turned to regard the newcomer. She was young, younger than her, with hair, eyes and features almost exactly like hers. There were many subtle differences, the younger girl was daintier and prettier, but the general effect was of two who could have been sisters.

"Who is this?"

"My name is Sabé Ikabel. Who are you?"

"Padmé to those in here," the girl replied. "To those out there–" A nod towards the window, "–Queen Amidala."

Sabé bowed. "Your Highness. I did not realise."

Padmé waved it off. "I didn't expect you to recognise me without the facepaint on."

Sabé nodded, remembering what she had learned in geography at school about Nabooian monarchs and their ceremonial make-up.

"Your Highness," Captain Panaka spoke up. "Governor Bibble and I strongly recommend that we hire Sabé for the position."

"I agree, Captain. Please begin training her as soon as possible. Sabé Ikabel, I hereby offer you the job of head handmaiden and decoy Queen."

Sabé's jaw dropped. "_Head _handmaiden?"

The Queen nodded. "If you choose to be my decoy it would be best if you were. A decoy takes my place in dangerous times. It's a risky job, and I won't be at all offended if you say no. I can train you to act like me."

"I would be honoured, your Highness."

Over the weeks Sabé trained hard, learning how to be a handmaiden and a decoy, and soon found herself dressed in the hooded robes of the other handmaidens. She and Padmé had tested the decoy plan on the Council of Governors, and it had worked perfectly. They still weren't aware that the handmaiden and not the Queen had conducted one of the weekly bulletin meetings.

Each of the four other handmaidens helped her with the task they were best at. Rabé taught her how to style the Queen's hair. Yané taught her how the palace's technical system worked. Eirtaé taught her court etiquette, and Saché taught her how to properly apply the facepaint.

Captain Panaka oversaw her physical training, much of which she already knew. But she pretended she didn't know how to fight, pretended that she didn't know how to disarm an opponent, and pretended not to be an excellent shot with a blaster. Nothing of her old life was to be revealed, not the good or the bad. And that was why she was so dismayed to suddenly see two Jedi.

The way this had come about was quite simple. The Trade Federation of Neimoidia had decided that Naboo, with its peaceful standard of living, would be the perfect planet to place a blockade. Their reasons for doing this were due to the taxation of trade routes, which had taken away much of the Neimoidian profit. Cutting off all Naboo's trade routes seemed the perfect way for them to get themselves noticed by the Senate. So, much to the horror of the Nabooians, the Trade Federation sent an army of battle droids to invade Theed.

In light of this new danger, Sabé was immediately transformed into the Queen, and Amidala became a handmaiden, taking her given name, Padmé. The droids swarmed the palace and captured the 'Queen', completely taken in by Sabé's performance. The intention of the Neimiodians was to forcefully persuade Queen Amidala sign a treaty that would legalise the invasion. Padmé had been quite adamant that this was not to happen on any account, and Sabé wholeheartedly agreed. She felt intensely angry with the Trade Federation for ruining her new lifestyle. Although she missed Obi-Wan fiercely, she didn't wish to come into contact with any more Jedi, dreading the flood of old memories that would swamp her.

But the two Jedi the leapt to rescue the Royal party from the battle droids that held them captive _were_ a necessity. Rather floods of memories than imprisonment in a Neimoidian camp. So Sabé tried to keep the irritation out of her voice as she spoke to the Master, and tried not to look at the Padawan. Was that how Obi-Wan would have dressed? And the haircut… Enough.

Turning to Padmé she subtly asked for advice on whether to let the Jedi take them to Coruscant or not. The reply was, "We are brave, your Highness." That was unmistakably a yes.

The two Jedi led them out into the hanger, and all seemed to be going fairly smoothly until something happened that gave Sabé the shock of her life. She was walking steadily behind the Jedi, trying to ignore the fact that she thought the Padawan was incredibly handsome, when Captain Panaka said, "We need to free those pilots."

Sabé nodded, glancing over at where battle droids held them prisoner. The Padawan broke away from the group, saying, "I'll deal with that."

Sabé's eyes widened and her heart rate increased. She knew that voice. Knew it almost as well as her own. The handsome Jedi Padawan _was_ Obi-Wan. Luckily no-one noticed her shock, as they were all busy watching the Jedi Master converse with the lead battle droid.

For all the time on board the ship, Sabé worked hard to keep her identity secret. They travelled to Coruscant, where Padmé pleaded for help from the Senate. Then they all travelled back when she realised she would have to sort the situation out herself. They had stopped for repairs on the journey there, and had picked up a young slave boy called Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi Master, who had introduced himself as Qui-Gon Jinn, believed him to be strong in the Force, hence why he had freed him. Sabé didn't know the details, but that was what Padmé had reported to her.

Padmé's great plan for taking back Naboo rested on an alliance with a race called the Gungans. Sabé was to do this in her guise as Queen, as Padmé had become quite well known to Qui-Gon and Anakin. Obi-Wan was blissfully unaware that the woman he thought was the Queen was in fact the thief whom he had fallen in love with in the Muertian prison. The voice that both Padmé and Sabé used as Queen Amidala was deep and regal, and nothing like either of their real voices.

When Sabé began her speech to the Gungan leader she knew at once that he wasn't going to acknowledge her proposals. It was Padmé who saved the day, revealing herself as the real Queen. The act of trust seemed to win the Gungans over, and it was not long before battle plans were being formed. The Gungan army was to engage and distract the battle droid army while the Queen's party captured the Viceroy. This all went relatively smoothly until Padmé and her band of troops were captured by droids and brought before the Viceroy. Luckily Sabé appeared in the doorway, tricking him into thinking that she was the real Queen, allowing Padmé to reach hidden blasters.

Meanwhile Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were caught up in a fierce battle with a mysterious tattooed foe. Qui-Gon, his age finally catching up with him, did not make it out alive. Obi-Wan killed the evil being, then rushed to his Master's side, but it was too late. He allowed himself a moment of mourning, then moved on, as was the Jedi way. He appeared in the throne room looking calm but sobered, and explained to the Queen that Qui-Gon was in the morgue.

The Viceroy, held in custody by Captain Panaka's troops, gave a smirk over this small victory. Obi-Wan glared at him as footsteps were heard in the doorway behind him. Padmé looked up. "Gods! Sabé!"

Startled, Obi-Wan's pulse raced. Surely it couldn't be. Slowly he turned. There, in the arms of the black-haired and blonde-haired handmaidens, lay the decoy Queen. Padmé hurried over. "What happened?"

"She was hit by a stun gun," Eirtaé said.

"The droids still thought she was you, your Highness," Rabé explained, helping Eirtaé lower Sabé to the floor.

Padmé turned to Obi-Wan, who was still staring, bemused. "Can you help, Jedi Kenobi?"

Shaking himself out of his reverie he replied, "I believe I can." He knelt down by Sabé's side and placed a hand on her forehead.

Her eyes opened and met his. "Hello, Obi-Wan," she said quietly.

"Do you know Jedi Kenobi, Sabé?" Padmé asked.

"Yes, we've met." She was helped to her feet and given leave to tidy up and change.

Obi-Wan watched her departing back, perplexed at how strange the situation was. Deciding to sort out what had happened on Muerta, he left the throne room and waited for the handmaiden to return. Shortly two came along, but neither of them were Sabé, he could tell by the way they looked at him. Then another approached. She was beautiful, but solemn, and looked very much like Padmé. "Sabé."

She glanced up. "Yes?"

Somehow he had always known his Sabé would be beautiful. "We need to talk."

She looked down at her hands, her flame-coloured hood hiding her eyes. "I know."

"You're not here to steal the Queen's jewels, are you?"

Her head snapped up and her eyes blazed. "No. This is my life now. My new, honest life."

"Afraid of getting caught again, are we?"

"Why must you think the worst of me?"

"You gave me good reason."

Sabé clenched her teeth, fighting back tears. "I did what I had to, to escape."

"From Muerta?" Obi-Wan asked. "Or me?"

"From my life as a thief. I have changed. I've got a proper career, I'm earning good money a legal way, and all because of you." Her lip was trembling now. "Because I couldn't bear your disappointment. I'm sorry if this displeases you." With the last sentence spat out she spun on her heel and ran down the corridor.

Obi-Wan sighed. Silently, Padmé emerged from a nearby doorway, clearly having heard everything. "Go after her," she said.

"You're not going to arrest her?"

Padmé smiled. "No. I knew who she was from the beginning. Sabé Ikabel, the Outer Rim's most nimble thief."

He frowned. "Why did you employ her then?"

"Because I saw sincerity in her eyes. Go after her, Obi-Wan. She loves you."

He stood in thought for a short while, then bowed. "Thank you, your Highness." He found Sabé sitting in the gardens, staring fixedly at an ornamental fountain, tears blurring her vision. He sat down beside her.

"If you've come to shout at me again, please do it quietly."

He winced. "I didn't mean to shout at you, Sabé. But it hurt me when you ran away at Muerta."

"Can you not see that I had to?"

"I can now. Now that I see what you have achieved since then. I forgive you, and I don't want us to be at each other's throats while I'm here."

She turned to him and smiled. "Sounds like a good idea. It's nice to finally see you, by the way."

"And you. You're a lot less like a thief than I thought you'd be."

Somewhere in that slightly clumsy sentence there was a compliment. Sabé saw it at once. "I'm glad."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, hands clasped lightly. Then Obi-Wan said, "Oh, I think you should know that I don't think I love you anymore."

Her expression changed to one of confusion and disappointment. "That should make things easier," she forced out. "After all we had no-one but each other for who knows how long, and–"

He stopped her babbling with a light finger on her lips. "I _know_ I love you."

She smiled, relieved, and leaned in for a tender kiss. "I know I love you too."

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**A/N: **Thanks to those who reviewed : )


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